CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai on Friday released pictures of what he claimed as proof for the Income Tax Department's raid at his premises ahead of the Assembly polls, after tax men denied taking any such action.
The TNCC chief alleged that the raids were selectively carried out to disrupt his party’s election campaign, especially from joining Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's campaign in the State, and released CCTV footage to support the claim.
Addressing reporters at Sathyamurthi Bhavan in Chennai, he said Income Tax officials conducted searches at the residence of Padappai Manoharan, a DMK functionary who had overseen his election work for the past three elections.
He alleged that officials switched off CCTV cameras before conducting an inspection of the premises and did not recover any incriminating material. Stating that the party had limited funds, he said the Congress high command had provided Rs 25 lakh per candidate for election expenses.
Questioning the neutrality of the action, Selvaperunthagai asked whether similar raids had been carried out on NDA candidates. He demanded that the Income Tax Department release a white paper detailing the number of opposition and NDA leaders searched and the materials seized.
He further alleged that officials seized mobile phones, intimidated those present and later denied that any search had taken place. He claimed that officials surrounded the house with vehicles, entered the premises and conducted checks, but officially maintained that no raid had occurred.
Raising concerns over the timing, he described the action as an attempt to create fear during the election period. Referring to the video evidence, he said the footage had been available earlier but was withheld to avoid being dismissed as an election stunt.
He said the footage was being released after the elections and called for action against officials who, he alleged, misrepresented facts.
The TNCC president said the incident raised serious questions about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
Earlier, the Income Tax Department filed a complaint with the Election Commission and city police against Selvaperunthagai, alleging that he had spread false claims. The department maintained that it had not conducted any raids on properties linked to him.